GODOLPHIN have signed off their spring carnival in style landing a stakes-winning treble at Sandown last Saturday with wins for Charlie Appleby, John O’Shea and Saeed Bin Suroor. Appleby’s trip has been an outrageous success despite not winning the Emirates Melbourne Cup with Qewy, his best placed, finishing in fourth.

The Irish-bred Geelong Cup winner returned to the winner’s stall having been sent out a $1.90 favourite in the Listed $150,000 Sandown Cup over 3,200 metres.

Facing moderate opposition and with Kerrin McEvoy back in the saddle, the Street Cry gelding won by a neck from the German-bred Adlerflug gelding Swacadelic.

“It’s been so much fun, the horses have all run so well and for Qewy to win and top it all off has been fantastic,” said James Ferguson after the Appleby team’s fifth win of their visit.

Having finished one spot ahead of Qewy with Hartnell in the Melbourne Cup, John O’Shea was able to lift the $250,000 Group 2 Sandown Guineas with the Darley homebred Morton’s Fork, an Ad Valorem colt.

Craig Williams on Morton’s Fork collared the leaders late to win by a nose from the Domesday colt Ruthven. “John (O’Shea) has had a really good opinion of him,” said Melbourne foreman David Charles.

“We’re very happy with the way he’s trained since he’s come to Melbourne.”

Not to be outdone, Saeed Bin Suroor got the last hurrah in, winning the feature race of the card, the $300,000 Group 2 Zipping Classic, with Beautiful Romance, who was back in distance to 2,400 metres following her seventh in the Melbourne Cup. Ridden by Glyn Schofield, the British-bred New Approach mare came from back in the field to dive between Almoonqith and Big Orange to claim the win by a nose as Big Orange, who tried to lead all the way had to settle for third a further half-neck away.

“She’s really tough and her Cup run showed that she has good ability and she deserved the win today,” said Schofield.

Also on the card at Sandown, there was success for the favourite Redkirk Warrior in the Group 3 Yarramalong Racing Club Stakes. The winner is a five-year-old son of Notnowcato, ridden by Craig Williams and trained by David Hayes. Notnowcato stands at Sean Kinsella’s Knockhouse Stud in Kilkenny.

Postive drug test

AN unnamed maiden galloper trained by Chris Waller has returned a positive test to the drug methamphetamine, more commonly known as ‘ice’. Methamphetamine is a prohibited substance in Australian racing with no allowable level.

While Racing New South Wales stewards are not commenting, Waller has addressed the finding, saying: “We want to work out where the contamination has come from and whether it was from one of our staff or an outside influence.”

McDonald under investigation

RACING New South Wales is investigating John O’Shea’s leading rider James McDonald (22) over an alleged betting related activity in a maiden race at Randwick last December.

The New Zealand-born jockey is alleged to have had an interest in a bet on Astern, the horse he rode to victory in the race. McDonald has stood himself down while the investigation takes place.

Winning start for Roche down under

JOCKEY Leigh Roche made a winning beginning to a term down under last Saturday as he begins a three-month spell riding for Winx’s trainer Chris Waller.

Roche arrived in Australia last Thursday and was quick into action with five rides on the card at Kembla Grange. He got off the mark with a win in a maiden on Austin. He told At The Races this week: “The boss is quiet this time of year and doesn’t have much for Dundalk, so I hope to stay until February.”